Family Secrets
by LunarEclipse31
Summary: Syrus was planning to spend summer hanging out with his best friend, Jaden. But when he goes to visit two family members he barely knows, the summer takes a dark turn. ZxA pairing. COMPLETED!
1. Summer Plans & A Dark Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX sob

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX or any reference to The Wereling.

--

"I don't see why I have to go."

Syrus Truesdale was having an argument with his mother. He was supposed to be spending the summer relaxing and hanging out with his friends, but his mother had gone behind his back and made arrangements for him to stay in Aspenwood at his father's house for the summer. He was decidedly unhappy about the arrangements.

"You just do. Your father has barely ever seen you since our divorce. Your brother probably misses you too."

"But Jaden and I were going to spend the summer at camp! I told you about that. Besides, I don't even remember them!"

"All the more reason for you to go. Seeing your family is important. You and Jaden can call each other and see each other when your visit is over."

"But I'm going for almost five weeks!" Syrus looked sourly at his mother. "This isn't fair! Besides, if they really wanted to see me, why haven't they done it before? It's not like they live in another country."

Angela Truesdale sighed. "That part is a little complicated. I'm sorry that your plans were ruined, but this is important. I'll tell you what. If you go and make an effort to be a little pleasant, I'll let you invite Jaden over for the rest of the summer."

Syrus contemplated his mother's bribe. All he had to do was endure a few weeks with his father and brother, and he and Jaden could spend the rest of the summer goofing off together. "Okay, but I want it in writing."

_--_

Jaden stretched out on Syrus's bed while he watched Syrus pack. "Bummer that you have to go, Sy. I was looking forward to camp."

Syrus tossed some shirts into his suitcase. "I know, but Mom wouldn't budge on this family time stuff." He looked up from where he was digging in his closet. "I'm sorry, Jay. It ruins your plans, too. I feel so bad."

Jaden grinned in a carefree way. "Don't worry about it. We'll have the rest of the summer when you get home. Phone me and tell all about the other half of your family. I bet your brother's the coolest. He's two years older, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't remember him that well. I was 3 when Mom and Dad split." Syrus finished folding his clothes into his suitcase. "That's it, I guess."

Jaden hopped off the bed. "See you later, then." He gave Syrus a brief bear-hug, and headed towards the door.

"Bye, Jay." Syrus looked unenthusiastically at his packed bag; unexpected anger welling up inside of him. _It wasn't fair. My father didn't want to have contact with me for almost 12 years _(A/N: Syrus is fifteen, Zane is two years older),_ and now he and Mom decide we need bonding time! This is going to be the worst summer of my life!_

_--_

"Zane, come in here, if you please." Alastor Truesdale, an austere looking man with dark blue hair and dark eyes, stood in front of his fireplace.

"Father. What is it?" His son, a handsome teenager with the same features stood before him, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere. His father seemed unfazed.

"Before you head out for the night, and I got to rest, there is something we must discuss." Zane took a seat on the couch and looked at him.

"As you know, your mother and brother live in Ash River, a few miles away." Zane nodded.

"I know."

His father looked into the darkening sky. "I'll get right to the point. Your brother is coming here for a few weeks this summer. Your mother and I feel that it would be good for all of us if we got to know one another better."

A flicker of a smirk brushed across Zane's face. "We've gone 12 years without each other, and we have turned out perfectly fine. Besides, _he _is…"

"I don't want to hear that Zane. He is your brother, no matter how different you are. Syrus needs a good _influence_, and as his brother, you're in a better position than others." He watched Zane for a reaction.

Zane nodded slowly. "I suppose so." He stood up. "Good night, Father. Atticus and I are going out."

"Be careful, then. Don't break dawn." Alastor walked up the long staircase, with a nod to Anderson, the butler. "Anderson, please prepare a room for my second son."

"Of course, sir."

Zane headed to his room, and changed into a dark pair of pants and a tight T-shirt. (Authoress whips out smelling salts to revive swooning Zane fans.) He strode out onto the balcony outside his room. And jumped gracefully over the rail.

_--_

Atticus was standing in the tree line of the forest bordering the city. "I thought you weren't coming." He remarked casually as Zane approached.

"I never miss an opportunity to hunt." Zane smirked.

"I heard that your brother's coming to visit. Is he a silverblood?"

"Probably, he takes after our mother more than Father." Zane scanned the roads below the hill they were standing on. "My father wants us to spend bonding time together." Atticus rolled his eyes.

"Cute. Big tough Zane, spending time with his kid brother." Atticus laughed; a low, smooth laugh.

"Atticus, shut the hell up." Zane sent a death glare at Atticus that would have made a lesser man tremble. Atticus brushed it off like it was a fly.

"Or what? You'll curse at me some more?" He teased. Atticus's favourite activity, besides bugging his sister, was bugging Zane.

Zane's attention was suddenly riveted on movement below them. "Look."

Atticus cocked his head like an owl, and looked in the same direction. There were two teenage girls hiking up the trail. He grinned, exposing his pearly white teeth; with slightly pointed canines. "Excellent. And there are two of them. You take your pick."

Zane smiled back, showing his pointed teeth. "Gladly." He strode silently down the hill, Atticus following.

A scream echoed through the night. Only a tiny sliver of moon shed light on the bloody scene below.

--

Sorry it's kinda short. Other chapters will probably be longer. R&R, but no flames please. I need a name for a female character, suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


	2. A Mansion, a Lord, & a God

Ch2: Syrus arrives

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

--

Syrus stepped off the bus and looked around the Aspenwood bus depot. It was a Tuesday afternoon, and not a lot of people were around. _Mom said that someone would be here to meet me. _Syrus looked around nervously, the five other passengers had taken their luggage and left. He was alone in an unknown city.

"Mister Truesdale?" A man's voice interrupted his thoughts. Syrus turned to see an older looking man in a dark suit watching him.

"I'm Syrus Truesdale." Syrus walked over, glad to see even this slightly creepy looking old guy. "Do you work for my father? My mom says he was supposed to be here…"

"Yes, I am the head servant in Lord Truesdale's household. Please come with me." He took Syrus's suitcase and walked towards the entrance. Syrus followed, thinking: _Lord Truesdale? What is he talking about?_

--

_They live here?! It's a freaking mansion! _Syrus stared in disbelief at his father's house. It was huge, Victorian-style, and very imposing. Anderson parked the car in front of the house. "This way, sir." Syrus got out and followed him up the steps.

Anderson opened up the front door, and held it open for him. Syrus stepped quickly past. The air of the house was cool, despite the heat outside. The hall was hushed, and he stepped lightly, not wanting to break the silence. He jumped as Anderson shut the door behind them.

All the furniture and tapestries looked old and grand; the floors were covered with hardwood. Syrus felt so uncomfortable, being in an impressive mansion like this. _Should I take my shoes off, or keep them on? _

"Follow me; I'll take you to the room you'll be staying in for your stay." They walked up the large staircase, and headed down a dark hall. On the walls were pictures of stern-looking men and women.

"Are these my relatives?" He noted that many of them had blue hair.

"Yes, these are your kin on Lord Truesdale's side." He reached a large ornate door, and pulled it open. "Now, I have things to attend to. If you require assistance, please do not wander around. Press the intercom by your door. Good day." He bowed, and left.

Syrus closed the door and looked around his room. It had dark blue carpet, and pale brown wallpaper with white trimmings. There was a four-poster bed with hangings that matched the carpet. _I'm supposed to sleep on that? _The comforter and mattress combined were up to his waist. There were three doors in the wall, both closed. A large glass door led to a small balcony outside. _This is incredible! If this is the guest room, what do the others look like? _A couch, some bookshelves, and a desk were arranged in the remaining space of the room. He set down his suitcase by the bed, and walked out onto the balcony.

Syrus leaned over the railing, looking at the large grounds. They were immaculately kept, with a forest bordering the area. _Well, I made it. Now what?_

"Syrus, it's good to finally see you again. You've grown so much." Syrus turned around to see his father standing in the doorway. He looked older than in the picture Syrus had of him. _That's understandable, I guess. It's been over a decade since I've seen him._

"Hi, um…Dad. It's good to see you to, too." Syrus felt a little shy about calling this man 'Dad'. He was practically a stranger.

"How is your mother?" Alastor's mouth twitched a little as he said it.

"She's fine. Is Zane here?"

"Yes, I expect he is lurking around the house somewhere. Do you like your room?"

Syrus smiled. "I do. It looks great. Mom didn't mention that you lived in a mansion, though. I was kind of surprised."

Alastor smiled wryly. "Your mother never approved of my way of life, for reasons I'll never understand. I had the room redone when I learned you were coming." He looked at the clock hanging on the wall, which read 5:45. "Dinner will be at six; I have to go take care of some business. Don't bother to unpack your things; the servants will take care of that." He stepped closer and gave Syrus a brief hug. Syrus returned it awkwardly. Alastor left the room.

Syrus sat on the couch and picked up a book. He had fifteen minutes to kill before dinner.

--

Syrus got so engrossed in his book that he lost track of time. When he finally put it down and looked at the clock, it was 6:10. _Oh no, I'm late! _Syrus ran out of his room and down the stairs. _Crap, where's the dining room? So much for a good first impression. _ He looked around frantically. A maid dusting a picture turned to him. "Through there." She said, pointing at a large set of doors. Syrus nodded his thanks and walked towards the door. He stopped just before it and straightened his clothes and hair. He opened the door and slipped inside.

His father and Zane both looked up from where they were sitting at the large dining table. He froze, an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment made his ears burn.

"Sorry I'm late. I was reading, and I lost track of time…" He broke off. Zane gave him a look that told him that he was lower than a worm's belly. Syrus sat down quickly, mortified.

A servant walked in and set a plate of food in front of Syrus. It was some kind of chicken and fancy rice dish. Syrus couldn't stand rice, but he didn't want to further his bad image. He started to eat slowly, trying to avoid the main part of the rice.

The man who had served Syrus came back in and murmured something to Alastor. He nodded. "If you two will excuse me, I need to take this call. Have a chat and catch up with each other." Zane said nothing, and neither did Syrus. Alastor left the room.

Zane and Syrus looked at each other square in the face. Neither of them said anything. It was as if they were sizing each other up, looking for weaknesses.

_He's so tall. _Syrus thought miserably. _Not to mention good-looking. I guess I know who got the good genes in the family. He probably thinks I'm as weak as I am small. _Syrus couldn't break Zane's gaze. _What's wrong with me?_

--

_He's shorter than I thought he would be. _Zane observed. _But I guess my vampire genes helped me out on that part. Nor does he seem to have any confidence. _Zane inhaled softly, pulling in his brother's scent. _His blood smells delicious, though. _Zane smiled a little darkly at him.

--

Syrus finally tore his gaze away from Zane's. "Where do you go to school?" He questioned haltingly.

"I go to a private school on the other side of town. And you?"

"Just public school. Private schools never really rubbed me the wrong way. Do you do well?"

"I'm at the top of my class, I'm president of school council, and I was voted Most Likely to Succeed." He smirked. "So, yes, I'm doing quite well."

"Oh." Syrus's own accomplishments suddenly felt very insufficient. _Just my luck, my older brother is practically a god._ "So, what do you do around here in the summer?" _He probably goes to extra-credit classes so he can graduate early. _He thought sourly.

"We have a swimming pool, horses, and hiking trails that you can use. I use them as well, and spend time with my friends who live down the road."

Syrus nodded. "The man who picked me up called…Dad Lord Truesdale. Is that actually his title?"

"Yes, it is. The title 'Lord' denotes a nobleman. Dad is descended from a little-known royal family."

"Really? That's kind of cool." Zane raised one eyebrow at the word cool.

"Yes, I guess it is 'cool'." He stood up. "If you don't mind, I have to go. I promised Atticus I would call him today." Zane walked away before Syrus could say a word.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just go ahead." He grumbled; standing up. He walked outside into the cool evening air. _I'll just go for a walk down the road. _Syrus walked off down the tree-lined street.

A few hundred feet down the road, he saw another large house, not as large as his father's, but still fairly large. _Maybe there'll be someone living here that I can hang out with for the rest of the summer. _

He walked over to the fence and saw a girl raking leaves in the yard. "Hi!" He called.

She looked up. "Hello. Where did you come from?" She was quite pretty, with chestnut hair that had lighter streaks of brown running through it. Her eyes were a light shade of amber.

"Do you live here?" Syrus asked, looking up at the house.

"I do."

"My father's house is bit over that way." He said, pointing to the direction from which he had just come. "I'm visiting him and my brother for the summer. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Her face darkened. "A have some advice that you'd better listen to." She looked around cautiously. "Go home as soon as you can. Don't stay here; it's too dangerous." She took off running towards her house. Syrus stared after her in disbelief. _What danger? What is she talking about?_

--

Whew, glad that's over! Descriptions wear me out. R&R please! I need a name for the mystery girl, please submit suggestions.


	3. More Mystery

Syrus walked home, deep in thought

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX.

A word from the author: I named Zane's hometown, Aspenwood, was named after the type of wood that was used to make stakes to stab through a vampire's heart.

--

Syrus spent the night deep in thought. _What did she mean? I'm not in danger, am I? I mean, sure, my father is a little busy, Zane's an arrogant jerk, and the butler is kind of creepy, but that hardly amounts to danger. Danger of boredom, maybe…_

_--_

After breakfast he walked down the drive towards the mansion. Movement in the corner of his eye made him turn. It was Zane and a brown-haired teen of the same age (A/N: guess who?), racing across the grounds on horses._ Probably another wonder boy, like Zane. _Syrus thought resentfully.

They changed direction rapidly, heading towards Syrus. They stopped the horses a few metres away from him, and dismounted.

"You must be Syrus." The brown-haired boy peered at him closely. "Huh. Same hair." He stuck out a hand. "I'm Atticus Rhodes, Zane's best friend since forever. Right Zaney?" He put an arm over Zane's shoulder. The latter pushed it off.

"Atticus, quit it. Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean that I won't smack you upside the head." Zane turned to look at his brother. "Do you want to come for a ride? Atticus is going home, and some of our horses need exercise."

"Well, I don't really ride that much…" Syrus looked at the huge animal that was nibbling on the grass. It gave him a look.

"Do you hunt, Syrus?" Atticus was looking at him intently. Zane glanced at his friend with a look of annoyance. _Why is he annoyed? _Syrus thought.

"No. Mom is a vegetarian, and I eat meat only 2 or 3 times a week."

Atticus got a mischievous look in his eye. "Really? That's interesting. Zane and I go hunting all the time, don't we? You should come along some time. It's fun."

"Atticus, that's enough." Zane snarled. "I think it's time for you to go." Atticus glowered at him.

"Okay, I'll go. I was just kidding, Watch your blood pressure." He grabbed Zane by the arm. "I just need to talk to Zane for a minute, Syrus, if you'll excuse us…"

They walked a little ways away. "Zane, I thought you didn't want to get involved."

"I've been thinking about it. Shouldn't he have a choice?"

"Why should he? We didn't, and neither did my sister." He looked a little sadly at his friend. "Your father's made up his mind, Zane." He looked away for a minute. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Zane watched his friend jog off. He went back over to Syrus, who was stroking one of the horses. "Do you want to go up to the lake now?"

"Okay." Syrus looked at the horse Atticus had been riding. He walked around to the left side of the horse, and stuck his foot in the stirrup. As he tried to hop off the ground, he overbalanced and nearly fell over backwards. Zane stuck out a hand and shoved him gently back towards the horse. Syrus managed to clamber onto its' back. "Thanks." He muttered.

"Follow me." Zane's horse took off at a trot, with its' rider rising and falling gracefully with the motion. Syrus trailed less neatly, but managing to keep up. "Where were you last night? I was looking for you."

"I went for a walk down the road. I met the girl who lives in the big house about five minutes away. She…was a little odd." Zane twisted in the saddle to look at Syrus.

"What do you mean, odd?"

"She told me that this place is dangerous." Zane frowned.

"Maybe you shouldn't go near that place anymore. That family is a little eccentric, but that is bordering on paranoia."

"I won't." They rode up a hill into the forest. About ten minutes in, the trail ended at a small lake, border by trees. "This is so neat." They got off their horses and sat on the grass.

"Not many people know about it. The lake is part of Father's property, so people generally don't come up here."

"Thanks for bringing me. If I had tried to find it, I would've gotten lost."

"I doubt it. The trail is pretty straightforward."

"You don't know me." Both of them were quiet for a minute.

"I suppose I don't. Maybe we can change that." Syrus smiled. _He's acting human! But why did he change? Yesterday he was meaner than a snake. _

_--_

_I feel bad for him, and I'm trying to make up for that. He has no idea what's coming. The girl was right, he is in danger here. I wish I could tell him, but maybe Atticus is right. I was never told, and I'm okay. I wish Father hadn't told me what he was planning. _

_--_

Syrus stole a glance at his brother, who was deep in thought. _What did I say?_

"Maybe we should go back now. It's getting towards noon. I promised Mom and Jaden that I would phone them when I got here, and I've been for an entire day."

Zane stood up. "Who's Jaden? A friend?" Syrus nodded as he climbed onto his horse's back. "Speaking of friends, I'm sorry Atticus was bugging you. He acts like a doofus sometimes."

"That's alright, he was only joking around." Syrus thought of something. "Do you ever wonder what Mom is like?" Syrus blurted it out before he could even realize how personal a question that was. Zane shook his head.

"I was five when our parents divorced. I remember Mom, but I don't miss her. It may sound callous, but I just don't need her. I have gotten along fine so far."

Syrus couldn't understand it, but he decided not to mention it. "I sort of understand. I never longed for Dad, but I thought about you a lot."

"You did?" Zane sounded a little surprised.

"I wondered what it was like to have a brother. Jaden is an only child, so we're in the same clueless boat." They trotted down the trail. "But we are very close, so we're kind of like brothers."

"Hm." Zane didn't respond, only made his horse go a little faster. _What's up with him? _Syrus thought. After a minute, understanding struck him. _He's jealous of Jaden! He does like me!_

--

Later in the afternoon, Syrus phoned his mom and assured her that he was safe, and that he was eating his vegetables. He then phoned Jaden, and described at length the house, his father, and most of all, Zane.

"He was really cold the first day, but today he was acting all nice. I don't get it."

"Maybe he has a multiple personality disorder."

"Get real, Jaden."

"I'm serious. They exist, look it up."

"Uh, huh. There was this weird girl who lives down the road, and she told me I was in danger. Talk about crazy."

"Maybe you should listen. Your dad's butler could be a zombie who wants to turn you into one of the undead."

"You really are crazy, Jaden, but, as your friend, I can get past it."

"I have to go now. Camp starts tomorrow and my parents say I have to get a good long sleep."

"Bye, Jay." Syrus hung up the phone. Syrus lay on his bed, letting his thoughts drift to the mystery girl. _It wouldn't hurt to do some research._

He logged onto the Internet from a computer in the library, which was connected from his room by a short hallway. After a few minutes of clicking links, he found himself looking in disbelief at a webpage. _Aspenwood used to be a gathering place for people suspected to be vampires and werewolves in times when fanatics were persecuting them. Whether any of the inhabitants were the real case is not known._

"Vampires and werewolves do not exist." Syrus told himself aloud. "I'm being silly. That girl was paranoid, and that was several hundred years ago."

He went back to his room, changed into his pyjamas, and crawled into bed. _She was probably trying to scare me; her idea of a stupid joke…_ A loud snore issued from his mouth.

--

In Zane's room, the lone occupant of the bed was not sleeping. Zane sat up and leaned against the headboard. _Why can't I stop thinking about it? __Because he's a silverblood, it could be dangerous a_ little voice in his head responded. _He's older now, he'll be fine. __Riiiight, you just keep telling yourself that _the voice told him.

Zane stood up and walked out onto his balcony, breathing in the crisp night air. _I'm going for a run; maybe it will clear my head._ He transformed seamlessly into a large black wolf with glowing yellow eyes. He leapt off the balcony, landing like a cat, and running off into the night, as if trying to escape the truth.

--

Wow, that's a lot. I'll try to update soon, but I'm going back to school. Evil homework.

I'm still open to suggestions for the girl's name. If you have questions, post them in your reviews and I'll try to answer them.


	4. Werewolf?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

A word from the author: Zane can transform into a wolf because it is a power of the vampire, along with turning into bats and rats. Personally, wolves are my favourite transformation.

--

Syrus woke up in the middle of the night, yawning. He glanced over at his clock and saw that it read 2:34 AM. _Just great. _He thought grumpily. He slid out of bed. _Maybe a drink will make me sleepier. _As he walked to the on-suite bathroom, he glanced at the gap in the curtains on the window and saw movement down on the lawn. Syrus peered out of the curtains and saw a wolf running through the moonlight. _Wow, I've never seen a wolf this close up before. _

As he watched closer, the wolf stopped running. It reared up on its hind legs, just like a human…

_Oh…oh…_ Syrus stared in horror. The wolf wasn't a wolf. It was a wolf turning into a person. As he watched, transfixed in revulsion, he became aware that the man's hair was blue. Teal blue, to be exact. _Oh my god, it's Zane! He's a werewolf! _Syrus stumbled back from the window in shock. _This is impossible, werewolves aren't real, but I just saw…_ Syrus couldn't get his thoughts to stop racing.

He cautiously looked out the window, afraid that Zane would see him. But there was nothing on the lawn; nothing at all within sight. He sat back on his bed, breathing shallowly. _It's okay, it was nothing, and it wasn't real… _He continued in this train of thought until he fell into a disturbed sleep, filled with dreams of werewolves, blood, and the screams of young children…

--

When he woke, it was 9:26 AM. Syrus shook his head, trying to get last night's awfulness out of his mind. On impulse, he picked up the phone on the computer desk and dialled Jaden's number. The phone rang a few times, and was picked up.

"Yuki residence." It was Jaden's voice, a little sleepy, but there.

"Jaden, it's Syrus. I need to talk to you; it's important." Jaden yawned.

" 'Scuse me; I just woke up. What's wrong, Sy. You sound freaked out."

"I AM." Syrus's voice rose to a decibel that would make dogs whimper. "Last night, well really this morning, I woke up and I saw Zane."

"Yeah, he lives there. I'm not surprised."

"You didn't let me finish. He was a wolf. And he turned into a human."

"He's a werewolf?! Are you sure? That's a pretty wild theory; are you sure that you weren't dreaming? Stress can make you have nightmares."

"I hadn't thought of that." Syrus was feeling calmer now. "I probably did dream. Thanks for that, I was panicking there for a second."

"But…if you weren't dreaming…be careful. Don't get on his bad side, just in case."

"Jaden, werewolves aren't real."

"We don't know that for sure. It's like Bigfoot."

"Alright, I'll humour you, and keep silver on me at all times." Syrus was feeling awful again.

"Do you want to call your mom, and let her know? She might even want you to come home."

"I don't want to worry her. Don't tell her a thing. I was just dreaming."

"Okay. Phone me if any more weird stuff happens. Bye, Sy."

"Bye." Syrus set down the phone, and rubbed his eyes. _I was probably just dreaming. Werewolves don't exist… __Or do they? _A little voice in his head responded shyly. _Shut up, _he told it.

--Later- -

"Master Syrus?" Anderson came into Syrus's room, where he was listening to his IPod, and reading in an attempt to keep his mind off the night before.

"What is it?"

"A girl is here to see you. She says that you met a day or so ago. Shall I send her away?"

Syrus looked up in interest. _Maybe she can give me some answers._

"No, send her up. I want to talk to her." Syrus took off his IPod and set it down on the desk.

A few moments later, the girl walked in. "Hello Syrus. It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too, um… I don't believe I caught your name the last time we…met."

"It's Daena." She paused for a second. "I'm sorry if I freaked you out the last time we met. I was surprised to meet someone from this house, that's all."

Syrus frowned. "From this house? Why?"

"Our families don't exactly…mix. We keep to ourselves." She smiled. "It's nice to meet someone my own age, though. My brothers and sisters are older than me, and there are no kids around here my age that my parents approve of."

"Do they approve of me?" She looked down. Syrus guessed that meant no. "You're not like…them. I mean, you're related to the people here, but you're different. So I think it's safe for me to be here." Syrus sighed. With this girl, every answer brought another question.

"What do you mean, I'm not like them? Can't you just answer my questions without making me wonder more things?"

"Sorry. My family is like that. My dad says that we're all philosophers deep down." Daena exhaled. "About your question; you're different because…"

"He was raised in a different place, with a different lifestyle?" Zane's voice interrupted her smoothly. He walked into the room with Atticus and a blonde girl who looked a lot like the latter. He raised an eyebrow at her. Syrus remembered his 'dream', and looked closely at Zane. He didn't seem wolfish in the least.

"Yes, that's what I was going to say." She looked at Zane with thinly veiled dislike. "Maybe I should go." _Why is she looking at him like that?_

"Perhaps you should. My father doesn't know that you're here." Zane moved aside to let her by.

"Bye Syrus. I'll see you later." She nodded at him and left the room swiftly, before he could respond. Syrus turned to Zane in anger.

"What was that all about? We were just talking!"

"Father wouldn't want you talking to her. The whole family is a bad influence; they are strange. Stay away from them." Zane looked at him seriously, then lightened his mood. "You've met Atticus already, I believe. This is Alexis, his sister." She stepped forwards and shook Syrus's hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Zane and Atticus have told me about you. Don't worry, I'm nowhere near as crazy as Atty." She smiled at him. "Love the hair."

"Yeah." Atticus put in. "Very punk."

Alexis and Zane rolled their eyes in unison. Syrus smiled in spite of his confusion.

Atticus looked at the clock. "Holy cow! The movie is starting soon. We should get going or we'll miss the coming attractions!" He grabbed Alexis and Zane by the arms. "Come on!"

Alexis sighed. "Yeah, that would be a tragedy."

"Do you want to come, Syrus?" Zane asked. "We were going to ask you, but you had the door locked and we didn't want to bug you."

"No, I have some things to do. You go ahead." Syrus waved them off.

As he watched them leave, he wondered how they had gotten into the room if the door was locked. Not to mention the fact that they had come in right as Daena was about to tell him something important. _Could Zane really be a werewolf?_ Syrus wondered as he watched the car drive away.

--

Another chapter over. It's kind of a short one too. BTW, Daena's name is pronounced Day-na.


	5. A Ruined Evening

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX or The Book of Were-Wolves

--

Later, when Zane was back from his movie, the three Truesdales sat down to have dinner together. Syrus had puzzled over Daena's visit and abrupt departure for hours, but came to no conclusion. _She's trying to tell me something important. But what? That Zane is a werewolf? The most important sign is there: I saw him turn into a wolf, or rather, turn back from one. I'll watch what he eats for dinner tonight, and go from there._

Alastor opted to have curried chicken with wild rice, while Zane chose the zesty BBQ steak. Rare. _That's really suspicious. _Syrus thought. _I've never met anyone who can eat a piece of meat dripping with blood. Strike two for Zane._

Syrus went with the chicken. The three ate quietly for a few moments. "I apologize if I'm not around much, Syrus." Alastor said. "I have important documents and treaties to look over. I lose track of time fairly easily, and Zane never complains. I don't mean to neglect you."

"I've been surviving. There are lots of things to do here. I met an interesting girl who lives down the street named Daena. I think I'm going to invite her over to go riding with me, if that's okay with you." Syrus never expected what came next.

"I do not want you talking to that girl. That family is no good; in fact, they can be dangerous. If you need companionship, stay with Zane and his friends. You are not to bring her here or speak to her again. I forbid it." Syrus opened his mouth to protest this blatant unfairness, when Zane caught his eye. He shook his head, obviously meaning, _let it go. _Syrus swallowed his complaints. _I'm not going to stop seeing her. There is something wrong here and I'm going to find out what. _

"Fine. I'm used to restrictions; Mom always screened my friends before I could hang out with them." His father frowned a little at the mention of his ex-wife. Syrus wondered why. His mom had said the break-up had been quick, but maybe there was a part to the story he had never heard. He decided, against common sense, to ask. "Why did you and Mom break up in the first place?" He ignored Zane, who was shaking his head and glaring at his plate.

"Don't say that." He whispered, so quietly that Syrus practically had to lip read.

His father almost threw down his fork onto his plate. "I'm not going to discuss that at the table. What's done is done and we are going to move on. Don't ask me that ever again!" His stormed away from the table. Zane and Syrus sat as still as stones. Anderson came to the table and spoke to Syrus. "Master Syrus, there is one thing you must never talk to Lord Truesdale about, and that is your mother. He cannot stand thinking about her, or even hearing reference to her." Anderson collected their plates and left. Syrus turned to Zane.

"I was just curious! She never told me about the divorce; I thought I could get some answers."

"Syrus, drop it." Zane's voice was so cold and stern that he sounded exactly like their father had a moment ago.

"But…"

"I told you to leave it! If you bring it up, you're only going to cause trouble, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut when I tell you to." Zane stood up and left the table angrily, just like his father.

Syrus got up and ran to his room. Slamming the door behind him, he collapsed on the bed. _Things were going so well, _he thought, _and I had to open my big mouth and ruin it. Zane was just getting to like me, and now he's angry at me. _Tears slid down Syrus's face. _Great, now I'm a crybaby as well as clueless. _He wiped off his face and put on a pair of pyjamas. He got into bed after locking the door.

The old nagging suspicion came back to him. _I definitely think Zane's a werewolf now. He's got the temper, the appetite; what if he comes in here and tries to bite me? _Syrus lay on his pillow and tried to take comfort in the fact that the moon wasn't full. Sleep came hard to him that night.

--

Around midnight, Zane got out of bed. Walking as stealthily as a cat, he went to the doors that opened to Syrus's room. He opened the locked door as easily as opening an unlocked one. He stood in the doorway, watching Syrus sleep.

He walked to the bedside and sat down on the bed softly, so as not to wake Syrus. He stroked Syrus's sky blue hair gently. _Just like Mother's. _He thought. Syrus shifted a little. Zane leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry I got mad at you. You didn't know any better." Syrus's eyes twitched for a second, but remained firmly closed.

Zane's mouth thinned as he contemplated what he was about to do. _It has to be done; I'm the only one who can do it. Father will do it, especially if it means getting Syrus away from that girl. I have to protect him, even if it means… _Zane forced himself to stop thinking about it. _Just do it Zane, he won't even notice. _

--

The next morning, Syrus was up bright and early so that he could eat breakfast alone. He had slept like a baby, despite the dinner's disastrous end. He hadn't dreamt, or woken up once.

Syrus decided to spend his morning in the library, reading all the old books on werewolves he could find. As he perused a copy of "The Book of Were-Wolves", Zane came in.

"'The Book of Were-Wolves'? An interesting choice for such a beautiful day." He commented. "While you're going through the gothic fiction section, don't forget 'Frankenstein' and 'The Vampyre'."

Syrus laughed a little. "I won't." He inhaled slowly, gathering courage. "Zane, about last night…"

"It's okay. I'm sorry for snapping at you; it was uncalled for. Let's just forget about it, alright?"

Syrus nodded. "Okay, and I'm sorry I was so clueless. I wrecked the evening. Jaden tells me that I'm too curious for my own good, but then again, so is he."

"Really? Jaden sounds like quite a character. I'll have to meet him sometime. And the ruined evening wasn't all your fault. Father can have quite a temper; so can I. It must run in the family." They smiled at each other a little. He sighed. "I have to go now. Atticus phoned me this morning raving about a new video game he has. The code of our friendship dictates that I now have to beat him soundly several times before he will shut up about it." Syrus laughed out loud; Zane actually had a sense of humour!

"Okay, I'll see you." Syrus went back to his werewolf research._ Maybe I can shove some silver in his bed tonight, just to make sure he isn't a werewolf. But what if he is? I could kill him! _Syrus thought about that for a second. _Oh my god, I'm being so stupid! Werewolves don't exist! They're just myths, for crying out loud. I'm getting worked up over a bad dream and a piece of undercooked meat._

Syrus was flipping through another book when the sharp edge of the page flashed across his finger, leaving a long, deep paper cut. _Yow! _He thought. Blood dripped out of his finger and onto the antique carpet. _Oh no! That's going to stain so bad! _Holding his finger in the hopes that he could staunch the bleeding, he checked the doors in the room to see if any led to a bathroom. In a little alcove behind some bookshelves, he found one that led to a dark set of stairs. Once again, curiosity got the better of his pain and common sense, and he started to ascend the stairs.

The stairs had not been used in a very long time, given the fact that they had a foot of dust on each step, and all the nooks were festooned with cobwebs. At the top, there was an old door with a rusty metal handle. Syrus reached out and opened the door, not knowing what he was going to find.

--

Cliff-hanger! Is Syrus going to finally find out the truth? Stay tuned.


	6. Esto Perpetua

Ch6:

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

--

The door creaked loudly as Syrus pushed it open. He paused, afraid to be heard. _What's behind this door? _He gently opened the door the rest of the way, and slid inside.

It must have been the long-forgotten attic. Syrus could see through the slats of an old window shutter; he was very high up, so much that he was glad that he wasn't afraid of heights. He turned away to look at the room, and gasped. The attic was not so forgotten after all.

The attic had been decorated in deep red and black colours. The wood floor was dark and polished; the furniture was brand new. Candles were burning dimly, lighting the room. At the far end of the attic was a dais, with three steps leading up to the curtained area. The drapes were of thick black silk, but they felt so smooth when Syrus touched them that he could have been touching air. He pulled them aside gently, unsure of what he was going to find. _Is this someone's bedroom? _He wondered.

_What is that?! _Syrus thought in alarm as he stepped inside the area. _Okay, now I know I was wrong about the werewolf thing. That's a coffin! _Sitting in front of him was a dark, glossy coffin, the top slightly raised to reveal the dark blue silk inside. _At least it's not empty. _Syrus thought in relief. _But does that mean someone who lived in this house was a vampire? _He slipped out of the curtains and fought the urge to run back to his Mom's house screaming.

On a small wooden table next to a couch, a picture sat. Syrus picked it up to look at it more closely. He felt such deep shock that it paralyzed him on the spot. It was like being kicked in the teeth. _The vampire never left. _He realized. The picture was one of Zane, Atticus, and Alexis. _Zane isn't a werewolf, he's a vampire! Or Dad is. It doesn't matter; I'm in danger. This was what Daena was telling me. She knew someone here was a vampire. I have to get out of here right now, before someone finds me here. _

Syrus ran back to the door, and tugged on the handle. It was locked. _Oh, no. This cannot be happening._ He pulled harder. _I'm stuck in a vampire's lair. _The absurdity of it almost made him want to laugh hysterically. "Calm down." He said aloud. "This is the attic for the whole house; there is probably another exit."

He went around, searching the large room for doors. There was none. _What am I going to do now? _He could break down the door, but someone might hear and come to see what was going on. Or he could climb out a window, and onto the roof. Less noisy, but there's a possibility he couldn't get off the roof, or that he could fall and break his neck. Not exactly fantastic options.

Syrus noticed a large book, lying open on a piece of furniture that looked like a conductor's stand. He leaned forward, forgetting where he was for the moment.

_The House of Truesdale_

_Esto Perpetua_

_What the heck? _Syrus flipped rapidly through the pages. It was a family tree, full of pictures and descriptions written in another language. Many people wore crowns, elegant clothes, all had pointed fangs, and almost all had blue hair of some shade.

_This is my family. _Syrus thought in horror and amazement. _The whole lot of them are vampires. I think I'm going to puke. _But he didn't. A thought struck him, and he flipped to where the entries ended. There was a picture of Zane, but none of Syrus. _Why am I not in there? Because I'm not a vampire?_

A cold feeling swept over him, and he closed the book; backing off so quickly that he knocked over a small cabinet. Dark red liquid spilled out of a flask that had been inside of it. _That's not wine, _Syrus thought, _it's blood! _The reality of his situation struck him. He was living in the house with two or more vampires, who could kill him on the slightest whim.

Syrus began to feel claustrophobic. The room began spinning, and he grabbed the edge of the couch to hold himself upright. A whoosh of air blew through the room, knocking his senses back into him.

"Who told you that you could come in here?!" It was Zane, standing in the doorway, fangs flashing.

Syrus fought down panic. "N-no one. I just found the staircase and got locked in here."

Zane stepped forward. "What did you touch? Tell me!" His gaze fell to the widening puddle of blood at Syrus's feet, and he saw how close his brother was to the family tree. He took a few more steps forward. Syrus backed off just as quickly.

"Stay away from me, you blood-sucking monster!" He screamed out the words before he even realized they had left his mouth. Zane appeared struck dumb for a moment, and then lunged forwards with rage in his eyes.

Syrus never actually felt the blow Zane dealt him, nor did he feel his head hit the floor before he passed out.

--

When Syrus woke up, the first thing he noticed was how dark it was. _That's funny; it's the middle of the day. _It was hot too. He tried to raise his head, but hit it on a soft, albeit solid surface. _What's that? _He moved his body around, finding that he couldn't move his arms or legs more than a few inches up and to the sides. The surface of his prison was smooth, almost like silk, as was the lump under his head.

His eyes sprang open. _Oh my god. I'm in the coffin. _He lost all control, banging on the lid with all his strength, but it didn't move an ounce. He yelled for help repeatedly, panic overtaking his logic, and calling for his mother, for Jaden, and weirdly, for Daena. He felt himself blacking out from the lack of oxygen. Syrus struggled to remain awake, but failed.

--

Syrus opened his eyes for a second time, expecting to still be in the suffocating darkness. Instead, he saw the drapes of a four-poster bed, the window showing twilight through a gap in the curtains. _This isn't my room, but at least it beats the coffin. _At the thought of the coffin, his day rushed back to him. He struggled to get up, but his head spun, and he had to lie back down.

"Syrus." Syrus whipped his head around, which gave the world another spin, and saw Zane sitting by the bed, watching him.

"You." Syrus said this with so much venom that Zane looked surprised. "Get away." Undeterred, Zane reached over and pushed him into a lying position.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you. I-I didn't mean to do that. I lost control." He looked genuinely guilty, but Syrus wasn't going to let this vampire off the hook, brother or not.

"It's very well for you to apologize, after you gave me a concussion, and then, to top it off, locked me in that death trap you sleep in!"

"I don't sleep in a coffin. I have a bed; it's the one you're lying on. The coffin is there for ceremonial reasons only." He looked angrily at Syrus. "And I didn't lock you in it, either. Anderson did, after he came up and discovered that you found the attic. He wanted to keep you in there until Father came back, because you had found out the truth. When he told me, I came upstairs and brought you back down here."

"Oh." Said Syrus, slightly chastened. "But I don't understand everything. You and Dad are vampires, aren't you?

Zane looked at him levelly. "Yes, we are."

--

Another chapter down. For anyone who is wondering, the Truesdales' family motto, _esto perpetua_, is a Latin phrase meaning: Let it be forever. It seemed appropriate, given that they are vampires.


	7. The Truth Revealed

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

--

Syrus's mouth went dry. "Daena was right. This place is dangerous. You're dangerous!"

"No." Said Zane. "I may be a creature of the night, but I would never drink your blood, or try to kill you."

"Then why am I here, if not for a meal?" Syrus demanded. "Tell the truth, and don't leave anything out." Zane leaned back in an armchair and closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them.

"Make yourself comfortable; this is going to take some time." Syrus sat up against the pillows, watching Zane carefully.

"Everyone on Father's side of the family are vampires. They have lived in Aspenwood for centuries, right under the humans' noses. It remained a safe haven from Slayers and religious zealots for years. Until now."

"Why? What's happening now?"

"Father believes that Slayers have infiltrated the town. That's why he goes away so often, to try and find them; among other things, of course."

"What about the book with our family tree? I'm not in it! Well, not that I care much, but it's weird."

"You are not in the book because you are not a vampire. Only changed members of the family appear in the book. I believe you're the only Truesdale in a few centuries to remain human for this long."

"Question: are all the myths about the vampires true?" Syrus knew he shouldn't interrupt, but he couldn't resist.

"The blood drinking is true; we require it to live. The myth about burning up in sunlight is false, but on hot summer days, it's best if we stay inside. Garlic has no affect on me, nor does silver. I think I've covered everything." Zane smiled a bit.

"What about the coffin?"

"Only old world vampires sleep in coffins. The one in the attic is for ceremonial purposes only." Syrus frowned in bewilderment.

"Ceremonial?"

"A new vampire must spend their first day sleeping in the coffin. I think it's traditional; it has no power or anything like that." Zane was quiet for a moment, and he seemed to be lost in memories.

"Zane?" Syrus didn't want to butt in on his recollections, but there was one important question that he needed answered. "Why did Dad ask me to come here this summer?"

"To tie up the last loose ends of his divorce."

"Huh? That makes no sense. He and Mom split over 10 years ago."

"You don't understand." Zane sighed. "Mom and Father divorced not just because Father was a vampire, but because of you."

"Me?"

"Yes." Zane told Syrus that their parents had met in university almost 20 years ago. They had fallen in love, and gotten married. Almost immediately afterward, the problems had started.

Alastor had been a prince in a family of vampires. Not the heir, but still high enough on the chain to have some clout. This was a shock to their mother, but she still accepted him despite the fact. Underneath her composure over the whole situation, she was hurt that he hadn't confided in her.

Two years later, when they had Zane, Alastor had to face the whispered jokes and insults hurled behind his back. Zane was a human-dominant halfblood, with no vampire traits apparent. For the members of the royal family, this was a mockery of their ancestors. Angela had refused to let this sway her. Her baby was perfect the way he was. Alastor wasn't pleased, but he let his beloved wife have her way.

Syrus had been born two years after that, and the blow to Alastor's pride was even greater. Syrus was revealed to be a silverblood. The entire family was shocked beyond belief.

"Wait a minute." Syrus interjected. "What's a silverblood?"

"A silverblood is a person with special properties of the blood that make it very difficult, if not impossible to make them a vampire. The term stems from the legend that vampires can be killed with silver stakes." Zane looked at Syrus. "You probably inherited it from Mom's side. No vampire on Dad's side was ever recorded as being a silverblood."

Syrus nodded. "So that means I can't become a vampire?"

"No." Zane asserted. "It means that if you decide to undergo the process, you could be seriously damaged, or even killed by the vampire's venom. Let's get off that subject for a little bit. I have to finish the story." He continued.

This time, Alastor joined his family's side on the matter of Syrus. He and Angela feuded over making Syrus and Zane vampires. Their mother refused, saying she wanted both of them to have a normal life. Alastor responded that having human sons embarrassed the family, and made him look bad. Angela would not allow him to bite them, because Zane was still young, and it could kill Syrus. She threatened to inform the Slayers of his location. He told her that she was going to submit to his wishes, or she would be "taken care of".

Angela filed for divorce, taking both boys to another city when she gained custody. Alastor made plans to steal them and get rid of Angela in one fell swoop. Alastor agreed to meet her in an attempt to compromise, because he still had a soft spot for her.

The agreement they came to was that Alastor would take Zane back to his home in Aspenwood, and he would leave Angela and Syrus alone for the rest of their lives, never having contact with them.

It tore Angela to consent to giving up her firstborn, but she knew that Alastor cared for Zane far more than Syrus. Zane would be safe.

"So, she just gave you up?! Just like that?" Syrus couldn't believe his mother would do something like that.

"It's been 12 years. People change; and she knew that I would be okay in Father's care."

"Then, why does he hate her? She gave him you."

"Mom made a fool of him in front of his kin, forcing him to bargain for what they believed was his. Namely, you and I."

"Oh. I get it. So, what happens now?"

"I'm not done my story. A few years after the compromise, Father…" Zane faltered for the first time, his voice petering out. He recomposed himself, taking a deep breath. "He bit me and turned me into a vampire when I was six years old. I didn't have a choice; it was made for me."

"That's horrible. You were so little!" Syrus felt tears welling up in pity for Zane.

Zane waved a hand. "It doesn't matter now. We can't change the past. That's why I'm telling you this. Father will try to convince you to become a vampire."

Syrus's jaw dropped, and he wasn't able to speak for several moments. _This can't be happening. I'm going to wake up, and I'll be home, about to go to camp with Jaden. In fact, Zane and Dad won't even exist. It'll just be me and Mom…_"Syrus! Snap out of it!" Zane shook him by the shoulders, making him snap out of his trance.

"This doesn't make sense. If Dad knows I'm a silverblood, why would he want to try to make me a vampire? It could hurt me."

"He's willing to take that chance. Father thinks that now that you're a teenager, you'll be strong enough to withstand the poison." Zane looked at him right in the eye. "I don't believe that. If you fought against the change, you could be killed."

"And what am I supposed to do about that? Let myself be turned into an undead, pale-faced being with huge teeth." Seeing Zane's less-than-pleased expression, he coughed and added, "No offence meant."

"Uh huh. You don't have to do anything about it. I've already taken care of the problem." This surprised Syrus.

"You have? How?" Zane looked very guilty all of a sudden. "What did you do?"

"I injected some of my blood into your body with my fangs. With some of the toxins swimming in your blood, you have a better chance of escaping damage if Father should bite you. I came into your room last night and did it while you were sleeping. I'm sorry, but I had no other way of protecting you."

Syrus felt ready to scream. "So, what does that mean for me? What if Dad decides I'm happier as a human? Well, not so human anymore, I guess. How is this going to affect my life?!" He was screaming. Zane didn't flinch.

"He's not going to ask your opinion about it. Sure, he'd rather that you go willingly, but he's not going to give you a choice!"

Syrus deflated visibly. "But I don't want to be a vampire. I like me the way I am."

"I know. I'll try to convince him otherwise, but it might not have any influence. His mind is very hard to change." Zane hugged Syrus. "It'll be okay, I promise."

Syrus let Zane hold him for a few moments. He was so scared, and he wanted to go home to his Mom, and be safe. He wanted to forget this nightmare of a trip.

Zane let his arms drop. "What about Atticus and Alexis?" Syrus asked. "Are they…?"

"Yes. Atticus's parents changed him and Alexis when he was the same age as me, and Alexis was a year younger. Their mother was human, but not opposed to the vampire thing."

Syrus was going to ask Zane why their father didn't like Daena, but they were interrupted by the vampire himself.

Alastor strode into the room, rage plain on his face. "How dare you go against my orders and tell him!" He yelled at Zane.

"He has the right to know." Zane responded coldly. "We've lied to him long enough."

"So he knows?!"

"Everything." Syrus got the feeling that Zane was kind of enjoying himself.

"You will be punished for this. Both of you will." There father came closer.

--

It's all out in the open now. What will Alastor Truesdale do now that the truth's out. R&R, feel free to ask questions; I'll send you a message if I can answer them.


	8. Trapped & Controlled

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

--

"Zane, go to the attic immediately and stay there until I come for you. As for you…" He glared down at Syrus. "You come with me."

"No."

"I beg your pardon?!" Alastor looked livid.

"I said no. I'm not going to let you hurt him." Zane stood up and looked fiercely at his father. "I know what you want to do to him, so I'm going to make something very clear. I…won't...let…you."

"Zane, you're obviously confused. Take some time to think this through." His father said this in a tone that implied he was talking to a three-year-old. Alastor grabbed Syrus's arm, and dragged him towards the door.

"Let him go!" Zane lunged towards them, moving with the agility of a cobra. Alastor dodged just as swiftly, pulling Syrus with him.

"Anderson!" Alastor called. Anderson appeared in the doorway. "Please restrain my elder son. I need to have a talk with his brother."

"Certainly, my lord." Anderson pinned Zane against the wall, holding off all attempts to break free.

--

Syrus struggled valiantly as Alastor dragged him down the hallway. "Stop wriggling! You will accept your fate and like it."

"I won't!" Syrus howled. "I want to be human! You can't force me to do this!"

"I am your father; of course I can. You'll be part of one of the most distinguished and renowned vampire families; everyone will respect you." He drew Syrus into his (Syrus's) room and literally threw him onto the bed. "You can stay in here and reflect."

"Why are you doing this?!" Syrus screamed, tears threatening to fall. "Are you such a monster that you'd risk the life of one of your kids just for reputation?!"

"I don't want to hurt you; if you submit to being bitten, the whole process will be easy, and you'll be perfectly fine. But until you agree, this room is where you'll be staying."

"I'll never agree! You'll have to kill me first!"

"Well, I wouldn't go as far as to kill you; you are protected by the Code of Blood. But your little friends Daena and Jaden aren't, are they?" He asked slyly.

"Don't you touch them!" Syrus roared. "Stay away from my friends!"

"If you behave, things won't need to get unpleasant." Alastor smiled, and left the room, locking the door behind him. _Now to deal with Zane…_

--

Alastor marched up to the attic where Anderson was keeping Zane. "You have disobeyed me. For that, I am going to punish you severely."

Zane shot a look of hatred at him. "Whip me if you want, I can take the pain."

"I wasn't thinking of corporal punishment, actually."

"Then what are you going to do? Send me to my room?" Zane smirked, but that was short-lived.

"No. I was thinking that the worst punishment for you would be to hurt someone close to you."

"You wouldn't." Zane went paler. _He's going to make me hurt Syrus!_

"I would." He went over to a cupboard and pulled out a small glass vial. "Drink this."

"No." Zane turned his head away. "I won't have any part of your scheming."

"Drink it," Alastor repeated softly, dangerously. "Or I will see that your pretty lady friend is turned over to the Slayers."

_Alexis! No! What can I do? He'll end up hurting one or the other; I can only save one of them._Alastor frowned at Zane. He strode forward and grabbed Zane's jaw, tipping the contents of the vial into his mouth. Zane gasped for air and swallowed to keep from choking.

Zane took several deep breaths and tried to fight off the feeling of numbness taking over his body. "No…" His head tipped forwards. After watching Zane for a few moments, Alastor spoke.

"Whom do you obey?"

Zane looked up, his eyes dark and dull, and replied in monotone, "My father."

Alastor smiled evilly. "Excellent. Now you are going to stay away from your brother _and _your friends until he submits to my wishes.

"Yes sir." Zane nodded like a zombie.

--

In his room, Syrus was pacing the floor. _What am I going to do? My father is going to hurt Daena and Jaden if I don't become a vampire, but I can't become one. I just can't._ Syrus started to cry softly. _I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't. _He looked out the window at the setting sun. _Maybe he'll change his mind, _Syrus thought weakly, _oh, don't be stupid. Of course he won't. If only I could warn them. _He sat on the bed, letting the tears drip onto the floor. _Zane knew about this, _he looked up in anger, _he bit me to keep me safe, but if he had just told me, I would've gone home, and I wouldn't be in this mess. _Rage built up inside him like a geyser. It wasn't his fault he was in this situation, it was Zane's!

_I was right to not want to come here for the summer. Getting to know Zane and my father has been the worst decision of my life!_

_--_

Four days later, Syrus was still in his room, refusing to meet his father's demands. He hadn't seen Zane, and that suited him just fine. He was still angry at him.

A knock at the door made Syrus start. Nobody knocked at his door; Anderson was the only person who came, to deliver his food, and he generally barged right in. Alastor came in, eyes flashing malevolently.

"Still being obstinate, are we?" Syrus didn't answer, just glared at him. "I think it's time that we put a stop to that, don't you? Anderson, come in here, please."

Anderson arrived in the lbink of an eye. "Sir?"

"I have to teach my younger son a lesson in minding his elders. Go get the girl who lives down the road and bring her to me." Alastor turned to Syrus. "It will be interesting to see how long you can stand hearing her scream before you break."

"No…leave her alone!" Syrus stood up as Anderson left. "Please don't hurt her!"

"Will you become a vampire?" Syrus said nothing, misery plain on his face.

"So, you won't give in even to save a friend. I knew that you were weak the day I found out you were a silverblood."

"Then why do you want me as part of your family, if I'm such a disgrace?" Syrus challenged.

"Because, to a vampire, family is everything. If you had been raised properly, you would know that."

"Just because I was raised human doesn't make me stupid." Syrus snarled. "You were raised a vampire, and you came out pretty twisted, if you want my opinion."

"Well, I don't want it, as a matter of fact. Now, maybe you should take some time to rethink your decision before Anderson returns with your friend. It would be a shame to have to exterminate her."

Alastor left Syrus alone with his anguish. _Maybe I should just give up. Daena doesn't deserve to die._

_--_

Wow, lots of talking in this chapter. Took a long time to put in all those quotation marks.

The plot thickens! Poor Zane, his father has control over him; what will he be forced to do? No one knows… well, I know, but that doesn't count. What do you think Syrus will do? Save Daena, or save himself? I'll try to answer questions as quickly as I can.


	9. An Unexpected Surprise

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

A/N: There is a Zane x Alexis pairing in this story. Just thought I'd warn you.

--

His father left the room, leaving Syrus to panic. _I'm trapped. Any minute now Anderson is going to show up with Daena, and I'll have to watch her die, or I'll become a monster. _Syrus put his hands over his eyes, and a new, sickening thought dawned on him. _But would he let her live? She knows too much. Maybe he's going to use her to force my hand, and then kill her. This is bad; I need someone in my corner, but Zane's M.I.A., and he's my only ally._

A tap at the window interrupted his thoughts. Syrus turned to see Atticus peering in the door of the balcony. Syrus's heart leapt and he raced over to let him in.

"Syrus, what's going on? No one's come out of your house for days, and I can't get through to Zane."

"I don't know where Zane is. But I have an even bigger problem, and you might be the only one who can help me right now." Syrus quickly related his story to Atticus, who looked horrified by the end.

"He's going to make you a vampire, and then kill her. I knew that Zane's dad was a little weird, but I didn't think it would come to this." He looked at Syrus seriously. "He was going to kill her anyway, you know."

"He was? Why?"

"Her family are Slayers, and most likely she's in training. Most vampires avoid Slayers, but your father believes that the vampires should eradicate them and take over the world." He smiled ruefully. "It sounds corny, but the takeover part is true."

"Daena's a Slayer?" Syrus felt oddly defeated. _I was hoping that maybe she and I could get to know each other better, but how can we, with her family being what they are, and mine being vampires? _Syrus snapped out of his depression. "We don't have much time. You need to protect her from Anderson!"

"I'll do what I can. And in the mean time…" Atticus turned to the door through which he came and called: "Alexis!"

Alexis came into the room with lightning speed. "What's going on?"

"We don't have much time to explain, but Alastor is going to kill the Slayers' daughter, and make Syrus into a vampire. You need to search through the house and find Zane."

"Okay. Call me if you need help." She raced through Syrus's bedroom door and down the hallway.

"Have you rethought your ideals, son?" Alastor's voice arrived in the room before he did.

"Hide!" Syrus whispered to Atticus. "Quick!" Atticus dove out the open window.

"What are you doing in here?" Alastor looked around suspiciously. "Was there someone in here?"

"N-no. I was just…" Syrus thought wildly. _Damn it, what can I say?_

"There was someone in here, wasn't there?" Alastor looked extremely mad. "Who was it?!"

Atticus burst in through the door that led out into the hallway. He took a few moments to catch his breath. "…"

"What are you doing here?!" Alastor turned to Atticus.

--Meanwhile--

"Zane, where are you?" Alexis ran down the hallways, looking into rooms. "Zane!" She went into the library.

_What's this? _Alexis pushed aside some bookshelves in an alcove and found the steps leading to the attic. _Maybe Zane's up here._She jogged up the stairs, and pushed open the door at the top.

"Zane?" She looked around at the Goth-style room, complete with coffin. "Zane!" She spotted Zane sitting on a window seat, watching the sky. "Oh, thank goodness. You have to come with me; Syrus is in danger." She tugged on his hand. "Come on, what's wrong with…" Alexis broke off, noticing Zane's blank expression.

"Zane? Snap out of it." She shook his shoulders. He let her, not even trying to push her away. "Who did this to you?" Alexis noticed an empty crystal vial lying on the floor. Curious, she walked over and picked it up. _Obedience serum! Alastor must have given it to Zane so that he couldn't stop Alastor's plans. How am I supposed to counteract it? It doesn't have an antidote!_

She walked back over to Zane. "Zane, please. You have to wake up; your father is going to bite Syrus, and kill Daena. We need your help." She took his hands in hers, and looked at his face despairingly. Who am I kidding? I can't stop the potion by just talking to him.

--Back in Syrus's room—

"Anderson is dead."

"What?!" Syrus and Alastor exclaimed at the same time.

"How is that possible?" Growled Alastor.

"His head was gone." Atticus replied. "The Slayers must have killed him."

Alastor's face darkened with rage. "You two are conspiring against me!" He accused, pointing at Syrus and Atticus. "You told the Slayers that I sent Anderson to get the girl." He bared his fangs. "Atticus, I'm disappointed. You and Zane seemed like the perfect vampires, but it turns out you are both traitors."

"You are insane." Atticus spat out. "Zane and I are good vampires, but I won't stand for you turning Syrus when he doesn't want to."

"My to-do list just keeps growing. It's too bad that I'm going to have to get rid of you, too." Alastor sighed. "Hopefully your sister had the sense to keep out of my business. Zane is quite fond of her."

His claws grew out into sharp points. "I didn't intend to kill more than one person tonight, but you had to step in where you didn't belong. I'm sorry, Atticus."

--Back in the attic--

Alexis was growing panicked. Atticus was strong, but he couldn't hold Anderson and Alastor off at the same time. Zane needed to come round fast. She squeezed his hands. "Fight it, Zane. You're too strong to be controlled." Zane sat motionless.

Alexis felt tears of hopelessness and frustration come to her eyes. "Come on, Zane. Your brother and your friends need you. Syrus is human, and Atticus can't hold your father and the butler off at the same time." Alexis put her hands on either side of Zane's face. "Please."

She looked into his expressionless eyes, looking for even a flicker of his spirit. There was only a tiny glow, hidden deep in his gaze. "Zane, I know you're in there. Please come back, we need you. _I _need you." She hugged him, listening to his heartbeat. It was then that she felt a slight twitch of his arms.

--Back in Syrus's room—

Alastor threw a punch at Atticus's head, which he dodged swiftly. Atticus grabbed his arm and attempted to throw him into the wall. "Syrus, get down!" he yelled over the ensuing crash.

Syrus took cover by his bed, watching in horror. _I can't believe it's come to this. This summer was supposed to be perfect, but it has turned into a living nightmare. _Alastor grabbed Atticus by neck and slammed him to the ground. He squirmed vigourously in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail. Alastor was probably about 30 years his senior, and much stronger than he. Alastor brought his free hand up, and slashed Atticus across the chest, leaving three deep gashes.

Atticus gasped. The colour was draining from his face as the wounds bled profusely. He looked over at Syrus and tried to speak. "…s-s-sorry…" Alastor stepped over his body towards Syrus, who was shaking uncontrollably.

--In the attic—

Alexis drew in her breath as she felt Zane's arms twitch. They rose up slowly and wrapped around her in a warm embrace.

"A-Alexis?" Zane's voice was a little shaky, but it was him.

"Oh Zane. You're back." She fought back tears of joy. "We need to go. Atticus and Syrus need our help."

Zane looked horrified for a minute, remembering what his father had done. "I know. Let's go, they're probably in Syrus's room."

"They are; I was just there a few minutes ago." She got up and started for the door.

"Alexis." Zane's hand stopped her in her tracks. "Thank you." He pulled her close for a moment, and kissed her on the lips. She was so surprised that she didn't do anything. Zane pulled away. "I just thought I should do that before we start fighting."

"Right." Alexis blushed. "Come on, we're wasting time!" She added, a little embarrassed that she had forgotten the issue at hand.

They ran down the stairs, heading towards Syrus's room. Zane was ahead of her by about two steps when they reached the door.

"This is all your fault. You could have made it easy, but you had to let two people be killed, one of which is your brother's best friends. He'll never forgive you, and you'll have many years to dwell on it…" Zane practically exploded into the room, Alexis right on his heels.

"Leave him alone!" Alastor's jaw dropped in surprise, and so did Syrus's. Zane took advantage of his distraction, and went over to Syrus, shielding him from their father.

"How did you break free?" Alastor's eyes flew to Alexis. "I should have known."

Alexis spotted Atticus lying on the floor, bleeding. "Atticus!" She screamed and ran to his side. "How could you?!"

"He was in the way, as you are now. Such a pity, but at least you'll die together…" He raised a hand; Zane was too far away to stop him from striking her down.A female voice from the door stopped him in his tracks.

"You are a madman, Alastor. I should have known that you would do something like this."

Angela Truesdale walked in, followed by none other than Daena.

--

Yes, I know a lot of jaws are going to be dropping. I love a good cliff-hanger.

The Chapter 10 or 11 will bring an end to this story. As always, R&R!


	10. Saved

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

--

"Angela!" Alastor stared at his ex-wife in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from hurting my children any more than you already have." Daena ran over to Syrus. "I shouldn't have let Syrus come here for the summer. I never should have let my guard down when it came to you. I'm so sorry." She turned to look at her sons. "Zane, I'm sorry that I left you with this lunatic for years. I am responsible for what has been done to you."

"It's alright, Mom. I wasn't hurt, for the most part." Zane smiled a little.

"I hate to break up the reunion, but you have to leave." Alastor faced Angela. "There is no place for you in your sons' lives, now that they will both be vampires."

"I'm here to stop you from doing anymore harm." Angela drew out a dagger.

"What is Mom doing here?" he whispered to Daena.

"I was coming over here to help you, and I ran into her. I don't know how she found out, but she did."

Angela looked at Atticus, lying on the floor, and Alexis, putting pressure on his wounds. "What have you done?!" She stared at him angrily. "You may have killed this boy, and for what? Your pride?" She was yelling now.

Alastor pulled out a dagger. "I don't have to justify myself to you."

"No, you don't. The Slayers and other vampires may see it differently, though. You have broken the Code of Blood."

"I am the ruler of this region. I do not answer to anyone but myself!"

"Believe what you want. The Slayers are coming for you; I contacted them a few days ago." Angela smiled. "They should be here soon. If you're lucky, they will finish you off before the Council comes for you."

"Bitch!" Alastor snarled. Then he seemed to think of something else. "How did you know to contact the Slayers?"

Angela glanced over at Zane, her gaze softening. "Zane was worried about his brother, and he phoned me to tell me _everything._" She pulled out a knife and pointed it at him. "It seems you raised him well after all." She added with a smirk.

Alastor's scowl deepened. "He is a traitor to his kind! I will have my revenge on all of you!"

Daena watched him coldly. "You will not have your revenge. My clan is coming, and they are experts in vampire extermination. You have caused enough pain to last a lifetime; you shall die for it."

"Perhaps not, but you will die also!" Alastor hurled his dagger straight at Daena.

Cries of alarm rose from the rest of the people in the room. Syrus was the only one who reacted fast enough to stop the dagger.

It hit him in the chest.

--

Zane watched in horror as Syrus fell back onto the floor. Daena and Alexis started screaming. Angela yelled, "Syrus!!" as she watched her youngest son fall; blood welled up from around the dagger and dripped onto the floor. Alastor laughed manically.

Zane pulled the dagger from Syrus's chest. Syrus winced horribly as the metal slid from his flesh. "Sorry." Said Zane softly. He clenched the knife in his hand, preparing himself. _It has to be done; he's hurt too many people. I have to stop him._

There were loud bangs as Slayers burst into the room. The leader, presumably Daena's father, took one look at the scene and went straight for Alastor, taking out a sword as he did.

Alastor almost escaped out the window when the same dagger he threw at Syrus hit him in the back of the neck. Angela's struck him in the small of the back. He fell over the side, and hit the ground with a loud thud.

Two Slayers headed outside to make sure Alastor was dead. Another phoned an ambulance for Syrus, who was barely conscious, and Atticus, who was going into shock.

Daena was talking to her father, explaining that it was Alastor's fault, and that the other vampires in the room were victims. She was having a hard time convincing him of this fact.

--

Zane watched as the paramedics carted Atticus and Syrus out to the waiting ambulance, an odd expression on his face. Angela went over and touched his shoulder. "It's over now, Zane. You and Syrus are safe."

"I killed my father."

"He was going to kill everyone in the room. He was evil, Zane, and he had to be stopped." She hugged him. "You had courage where I failed."

Zane looked at her, his eyes misty with unshed tears. "What do you mean?"

"I threw my knife to cripple him. I couldn't bring myself to kill the person I had once loved." She pressed her mouth into a thin line. "It takes great bravery to do what needs to be done, Zane."

"I still feel horrible." Zane leaned into her shoulder.

"You're in shock."

Alexis and Daena came over. "Wow, Zane. I didn't know you had such good aim." Daena smiled. "I'm sorry that your father turned out to be so evil."

"I should have seen that coming. Thanks for trying to protect Syrus."

Daena smiled ironically. "In the end, he ended up saving me. I'm not much of a protector, am I?"

Alexis managed a grin. "That's okay. Sometimes, it's nice to sit back and let the guys do all the work."

"Not too often." Angela put in. "otherwise they start thinking that they're in charge." They all laughed at that, even Zane.

Alexis looked at Zane. "What are you going to do now? You can't live here alone."

"He won't have to. He's going to come and live with Syrus and me until he's eighteen." His mother said with an assured air.

Zane smiled. "That answers that question." He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I'd be honoured."

--

Kind of a short chapter. R&R!

A/N: The Code of Blood is the book of rules that vampires live by. The Council is a panel of old, wise vampires who enforce the rules.


	11. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

This will be the last chapter

--

Syrus sat on his bed at his mother's house, looking at the clouds. _All's well that ends well, I guess. _He touched the bandages covering his chest. _I'm lucky to have survived. _He had spent weeks healing from the stab wound that his late father had inflicted on him, and school was approaching rapidly.

"Hi, Syrus. Got a minute?" Zane poked his head in the door.

"Sure." Zane came in. He had had some trouble adjusting to living in a city, but he was getting used to it. "What's on your mind?"

"Just…everything." Zane sat down on his bed. "How's your chest?"

"Better. It still hurts if I take too deep a breath, though."

"You're lucky that's all, considering the wound." Zane looked a little concerned, but shook it off. "Have you heard the news?"

"Nope. Mom is trying to make me lie down as much as possible before school starts." Syrus felt so at ease with Zane now, as if he had known him all his life.

"Well, I'm turning eighteen in three weeks…" Syrus interrupted him.

"I _know _that, Zane."

"Let me finish. When I turn eighteen, I'm going to go live in our father's house."

"You're leaving?" Syrus asked despondently. "Don't you like it here?"

"I do, but I miss my home and my friends; then there's the vampires issue…do you understand?"

"I guess. I'm just used to having you around, and it'll feel weird." _I want him to be happy, but I still don't want him to go._

"Anyway, in January, Mom's company is relocating her temporarily. We talked about it, and I want you to come and stay with me while she's gone. Atticus and Alexis will be staying with us while their parents go on vacation."

Atticus had made a full recovery in three weeks, after a few blood transfusions, thanks to his speeded healing ability.

"Really?! That would be great!" Syrus positively beamed. "How long is Mom going to be gone?"

"That's the more complicated part. She'll be gone for about 6 or 7 months." Zane cocked his head slightly. "Is that going to be a problem for you?"

"No. Well, I'll miss Mom, but as long as we don't have any long-lost vampire family members coming, I'm cool with it."

Zane smiled. "Great. I'm sure Daena will be thrilled to see you again. Her family is staying put for now."

Syrus felt like turning cartwheels. "Awesome! How are things going between you and Alexis?" He teased.

"Um…we're not really going out, but I'd like to be." Zane looked up at the ceiling.

"Ooooh! My big brother has a crush!" Syrus laughed; Zane blushed. "What about the inheritance complications?" He asked in a more serious way.

Alastor had been the ruler of a large region of vampires, and as his eldest son, Zane was the heir. But since Alastor had broken the Code of Blood, no one knew quite what to do in a situation like that.

"I'm going to be the ruler; I got the news last night."

"Zane, that's fantastic! So, do I have to call you King Zane, now?"

Zane laughed. "No! Vampire rulers aren't called 'kings', Syrus. I'll have a different title."

"Like…" Syrus waved his hands around.

"Hmm…after I'm crowned, I'll be called Kaiser in formal situations. You get to keep calling me Zane."

"That's good. King doesn't suit you." Syrus looked at the clock. "Jaden will be here any minute, waiting for me ot tell my story. Mom has been keeping him from visiting. She figures that he'll jump on me, or something."

"He might do that." Zane had met Jaden three weeks prior, and was amused by his constant quips and endless energy. _It'll be good for Syrus to be friends with him. And vice versa. _He smiled. "I'll go then." He ruffled Syrus's hair gently, and walked out of the room.

Two seconds later, Jaden bounded in. "Hi, Sy! Your summer sounded way better than mine! Well, not the getting stabbed part, but you had a real adventure! Tell me everything." Jaden hopped onto Syrus's bed, sending the latter flying into the air.

"It's good to see you too, Jay." Syrus replied happily. _I'm glad some things never change._

_--_

The End! And they all lived happily ever after! Just kidding. Only people in Disney movies live happily ever after. R&R


End file.
